Standing in the sweltering heat waiting for overcrowded buses, struggling to find that last spot in the stadium parking lot and walking what seems like 10 miles a day to class are not the first thoughts on Whitney Harwood’s mind.
Harwood, a dietetics junior, is part of an increased effort to incorporate more convenient studies via Internet technology for people with busy schedules and lives.
The University began offering online classes three years ago, said Tammy Adams, director of the Center for Electronic Learning.
While online classes offer more convenience for busy and middle-aged students with families, there are some concerns about testing online as opposed to the traditional classroom style.
Some of the classes offered online require students to go to a classroom where a proctor, instructor or graduate assistant is present to oversee the taking of tests, Adams said.
But for other classes, the instructor e-mails students a username and password one day prior to the test and sets up a time for students to log on and complete the timed test, she said.
Time constraints and passwords are used to make sure the proper person is taking the test.
However, cheating by having the material in front of a student cannot be avoided, so “good faith” is the only deterrent, she said.
The questions are supposed to be application-based, invoking a higher level of thinking, so only students who actually partake in the class will be able to complete the exams, Adams said.
“You’re not going to be able to look down and find the answer right in the book,” she said.
Despite the quality concerns, Adams said she has not come across a student who said, “Hey, that was an easy A.”
Alisha Coates, a business junior, said she took ISDS 1100 online and had to read the material because otherwise she would not be able to answer the questions.
“It was actually a great thing. It was a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere and the instructor was always there to answer questions,” Coates said.
Albert Deville, a biological sciences freshman, said he thinks an online class would be difficult because he could not talk to the teacher face to face.
“I like learning hands-on,” Deville said.
Online classes also are offered through the Office of Independent Studies so exceptionally busy people can continue their education.
Even with a demanding work schedule, Harwood is planning on taking 18 hours this semester through the Independent Studies program, she said.
“Since I can go at my own pace, I’ll finish the first nine hours and then take the second nine when I complete the first,” Harwood said.
The program offers 160 combined online and traditional correspondence undergraduate courses. Within the last year, the number of students working online doubled to 1200, said Ronald McCoy, director of Independent Studies.
Most of the students enrolled in independent studies take single courses as needed if they can not get into the section they want, he said.
“I think students like the convenience,” McCoy said.
Students who want to take more than 50 percent of their classes online have to be approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Adams said.
Beside Independent Studies and online classes, the Center for Electronic Learning also offers cable television, video cassette, compressed video and audio teleconferencing classes for qualified students, Adams said.
The $75 student technology fee has allowed for the integration of multimedia into 205 classrooms, which allows more than 50 percent of classrooms to have Internet access, she said.
With the increase in multimedia integration into classrooms, teachers are becoming more creative with lectures and lesson delivery and are making notes available online for students, Adams said.
While most students are not convinced about taking classes online, there still is the occasional tech-savvy student who is braving classes on the Web.
But independent workers like Harwood are allowed to press the snooze button just a little bit longer than the average student.